Suction-machine.



J. WYNN. JP. SUCTION MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-3.1913.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

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lNVNTOH 3 1 LC (/21: ATTORNEY WITNESSES J. WYNN, JR-

SUCTION MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1913.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WYNN, .13., OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'IO CLIMAX MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A COPARTNEBSHIP.

SUCTION-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application flied September 3, 1913. Serial No. 788,021.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN WYNN, Jr., a citizenof the United States of America, residin at Canton, in the county ofStark and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Suction- Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to suction machines of the centrifugal type,operated by a split phase induction motor provided with an auxiliarystarting circuit, more particularly to an attachment for the machine foruse in connection with said circuit, and has for its object to providemeans interposed in said auxiliary starting circuit and. operated bysuction, at the necessary time, to open said circuit, for the purpose ofreducing to a minimum liability of destruction of the motor by fire,whereby the life of the motor is materially increased.

Further objects of the invention are to provide an attachment forsuction cleaning machines which is simple in construction andarrangement, readily adapted for use in connection'with the machine,strong, durable, efiicient in its use, automatic in its operation,conveniently installed and inexpensive to set up.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is an elevation of thesuction cleaning machine, showing the-adaptation thereto of a switch inaccordance with this invention,

the switch being operated by suction, Fig.

operatedby suction and pressure, Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of thesuction operated sw tch wlth the wire connected thereto, Fig. 6 1s avertical sectional view illustrating the suction operated switch, foruse in connectlon with the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the suctiontube being broken away and the elements of the switch shown in normalposition closing the circuit, Fig. 7 1s a vertical sectional viewillustrating the switch elements, of the form of switch employed inFigs. 3 and 4, the elements of the swltch being shown in an inoperativeposition, that 1s, opening the circuit, the suction tube and pressuretube being broken away, Fig. 8 is a sectional view at right angles tothat shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation showing theposition of the inner end of the suction tube with respect to the intakeopening of a suction producer, and Fig. 10 illustrates a sectionaldetail, or a modified form of the inner end of the suction tube.

In Flgs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, 12 denotes, by the way of example, asuction ma chine of the centrifugal type and which includes an air line13, and an outlet pipe 14 having a contracted portion 15, the lattercommunicating with the machine. The machine also includes a casing 16 inwhich revolves a horizontally disposed suction producer 17, the latterbeing shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 to 4, and in full lines in Fig.9. The suction producer is carried by the shaft 18 of a motor 19 whichis mounted upon the top of the machine and in circuit with a source ofelectrical energy having interposed therein a switch 20. The casing 16is provided with a centrally disposed air intake 21, the latter openinginto the inner end of theair passages 22 of the suction producer 17. Thecontracted portion 15 of the outlet pipe 14 communicates with the casing16.

In the form employed in Figs. 1 and 2 the switch includes a chamberedsupport 23 which is secured to the top of the machine and which hasarranged therein a pair of stationary electrodes 24, normally engaged bya movable electrode 25 for closing and opening the electric circuit.Conducting means leads from the stationary electrodes to the startingwinding of the motor and is connected in series with the winding.

Mounted upon the top of the support 23 is a sectional casing, thesections of said casing being indicated at 26, 27. The sections 26, 2?are provided respectively with. lateral flanges 29, 28 having interposedtherebetween a flexible diaphragm 30. The sections 26, 27 form acompartment, which is divided by the diaphragm 30 into a suc-' tionchamber 31 and a chamber 32. The section 26 is formed with a centrallydisposed opening 33, through which extends a vertically-movable member34, having the electrode connected to its lower end, and further havingits upper portion threaded. The member 34 extends up through thediaphragm into the suction chamber 31,

and has the threaded portion thereof provided with weights, asillustrated, an upper and a lower nut 35, 36 respectively, the latterbeing arranged within the chamber 32,

- while the former is positioned within the chamber 31. The nuts 35, 36,not. only con- .stitute means for clamping the member 34 to thediaphragm 30, but further provide weights for the diaphragm, so as togive suitable operation for a given suction or her intothe suctionmachine, and has an upi' turned inner end 38 which is positionedcenitrafllywith respect to the intake 21 and arranged in close proximityto said intake.

In the form shown in Fig. 2 the suction tube which'is indicated by thereference character 39 leads from the chamber 31 and extends into theintake pipe 13, in proximity to the body of the suction machine. Thatend of the suction tube 39 which extends into the pipe 13, is providedwith an angu- -j larly disposed portion 40. I p

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawing the construction of switch isillustrated as employed in the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 4 andreferring to Figs. 7 and 8, 41 denotes a chambered support, 42stationary electrodes, 43 a movable electrode, 44 a shiftable member forthe electrode 43, and 45-46 the nuts or weights which are se cured tothe member 44 for clamping the diaphragm 47 to the member 44. Mountedupon the chambered support 41 is a casing formed of two flanged sections48,- 49 which provide a compartment, separated by the a,ree,eea

diaphragm into a vacuum chamber 59 a pressure chamber 51. "The nut 45 isarranged in the pressure chamber 51 and the nut 46 in the suctionchamber 50. Leading to the suction chamber'50 is a suction tube 52 whichis constructed and arranged in the manner as the tube 37, or leading tothe chamber 50 is a suction tube 53 which is constructed', and arrangedin the same manner as the suction tube 39. Opening in the pressurechamber 51, at one side thereof, is a are secured to the chamberedsupport 23 while the flanges of the sections 48, 49 are secured to thechambered support 41.

In Fig. 10 of the drawing the end 38 of the suction tube 37 is shownprovided with a cone-shaped hood 56 for the purpose of creating asuction equal to, or about to what is lost when the door of the suctiontank is opened.

Although two stationary electrodes are illustrated,yet it is to beunderstood, that one can be employed, as one lead can be attached to thestationary electrode and the other lead to the movable electrode.

By placing the suction tube, with its free end, at the intake,especially in suction cleaning machines of the centrifugal type,unusually desirable results are obtained for the reason that the suctionmaintained at the intake, is nearly constant, regardless of the amountof air passing through the machine. Tn Figs. 3 and 4, the movableelectrode, is not only shifted by vacuum, but is also shifted by asupply of pressure conducted by the pressure tube from the outlet of themachine. If the suction should fall, the pressure derived from theoutlet would maintain the switch open.

Tn Fig. 5 there is shown a diagrammatic wiringsystem connected to asuction machine and includes in detail the current lead ing winding E topoint -0 where'it is' conducted by wiresF to the starting switch B. Thecurrent enters starting switch at point eand returns to point f toconnecting wires F, then to point -d and into line C. This is theoperation during the starting of the motor and after the motor hasbeenstarted, the vacuum created in the machine opens the circuit of thestarting winding and the complete flow of current passes through therunning winding.

Experience has shown that a split-phase induction motor, will not assumeits phase speed readily when a load is placed upon the motor before themotor has reached its proper speed. This in a mechanically operatedswitch, does not allow the pawls or brushes to break the circuit of thestarting winding, and the latter soon burns out. Clutches and otherdevices have been placed on the motor shaft, in order to allow themachine to obtain speed enough to operate the pawls or brushes bycentrifugal force, thereby increasing the mechanism as well as the costfor the operation of a split-phase induction motor. By utilizing aswitch arranged in the foregoing manner, this auxiliary mechanism iseliminated, due to the fact that the motor takes only aload caused bythe suction producer handling the air and as the switch is entirelycontrolled by suction, and the motion of the air produced by the suctionproducer operated from the motor, thus the switch will operate under anyand all conditions when properly attached to the machine. It willfurthermore be seen that it is practically impossible for the switch toget out of order. The switches that are automatically operatedby.centrifugal force, must have means, such as a spring to hold thepawls on the contacts, until the motor has reached a speed that willcontinue the motor to phase speed without the use of the startingwinding. These springs are subjected to breaking, as well as weakening,which under such conditions will cause the motor to never reach itsphase-speed and will result in a burn-out of the motor or fuses, andthus it will readily be seen that by setting up a pneumatically operatedswitch in a manner as hereinbefore set forth, theburning-out of themotor or fuses is reduced to a minimum.

In the operation of a centrifugal vacuum machine operated by asplit-phase induction motor, it is necessary, to open the circuit of thestartin winding after the machine has reached a out two-thirds of itsphase speed. This has always been done by hand or automatically by pawlsor brushes fastened to the shaft and the circuit is opened bycentrifugal force acting upon the brushes. This causes considerablesparking and therefore much wear on the contacts, which soon causes areplacement and usually destroys the motor or blows out the fuses. Itreduces the starting torque of the motor by the fric tion of the brushesrubbing on the contacts.

(Split-phase motors have very little starting torque.) It causes the useof heavier fuses by keeping the excess starting current on the line fora long period, due to the fricthirds of phase speed is reached, when thestarting switch is opened due to the vacuum produced in the inlet line,thus opening the circuit of the starting winding and the motor continuesto phase speed. When the operation of cleanin is commenced a largeamount of air is a lowed to enter the tank, and this reduces the vacuumin the inlet line which would allow the switch to close the startingwinding, and would burn out the motor windings, but by placing thesuction tube near the intake of the suction producer where the air iscaused to flow through an orifice and by turning the tube in thedirection of the air current, the air passing through the orifice causesa suction similar to that produced in an injector which added to that inthe line equals nearly that vacuum when no air is flowing. It is alsoseen that large contacts can be used and of a quality that is notinjured by sparking, such as carbon. It is also evident that the switchcan be immersed in oil, thereby setting up an ideal means of opening orclosing an electric circuit. Then again, when the machine is cleaned theoperator may accidentally leave the door open, and this would have thesame effect as the air entering the tank, with results similar to thatas by cleaning, and is taken care of in a similar manner.

It is obvious that a device as herein set forth increases the utility ofsplit-phase induction motors operating centrifugal vacuum cleaningmachines, and provides what of the motor by fire, and furthermore thedevice is entirely automatic in its operation whether it be operated bysuction or suction and pressure.

The device is similar in its operation when the suction tube isconnected in' the suction tank and a pressure tube is used on the outletside and connected to the under side of the diaphragm. The velocity headcaused by the air passing out the exhaust causes a pres sure equal toabout the vacuum lost While the machine is cleaning.

" What I claim is 1. In a suction machine of the centrifugal type, avacuum chamber having an inlet and outlet, a suction creating elementcommunieating with said outlet and further having element and having anauxiliary starting circuit, and a chambered suction-operated circuitopeningdevice interposed 1n series with said aux1l1ary starting circuitand hav ing means providing a passage leading from.

the chamber and communicating with said element and further havingcontacts and a holding element for maintaining said contacts normally inengagement to close said circuit, the pressure of said holding elementon said contacts being so proportioned with respect to the suctioncreating element and motor that the suction created by said suctioncreating element will operate said holding element to disengage thecontacts to open said circuit when the motor has obtained sufficienttorque to accelerate itself to phase or load speed.

2. In a suction machine of the centrifugal type, a vacuum chamber havingan inlet and outlet, a suction creating element communicating with saidoutlet and further having means associated with said inlet to providefor the flow of fluid through the vacuum chamber when said element isoperated, a split phase induction motor operating said element having anauxiliary starting clrcuit, and a chambered suction-operated circuitopening device interposed in series with said auxiliary startingcircuit, and having means providing a passage leading from the chamberof said device to the intake opening of said suction creating element,the diameter of the terminus of said passage at said intake openingbeing such with respect to the diameter of said intake opening that thefluid passing through said receptacle into said intake opening at a highvelocity will create a partial vacuum at said terminus thus producing asuction Within said passage sufi'icient to maintain the suction-operatedcircuit opening device in an open position regardless of the variationsof the sucincense tion within said vacuum chamber during the operationof the machine,

8. In a suction machine of the centrifugal type, a vacuum chamber havingan inlet and outlet, a suction creating element communicating with saidoutlet and further having means associated with said inletto provide forthe flow of fluid through the vacuum chamber when said element isoperated, a split phase induction motor operating said element andhaving an auxiliary starting circuit, and a chambered suction-operatedcircuit opening device interposed in series with said auxiliary circuit;said chambered suction-operated circuit opening device having a movableweighted diaphragm with electrodes, the weight on saiddiaphragm being soproportioned with respect to the suction creating element and the motorthat the suction created by the suction creating element will notoperate said circuit openin device until said motor has obtainedsufiicient torque to accelerate itself to phase or load speed, saidchambered suction operated circuit opening device further provided witha passage leading from said chamber to the intake opening of saidsuction creating element, thediameter of the terminus of said passage atsaid intake opening being such with respect to the diameter of saidintake opening that the fluid passing through said receptacle into saidintake opening at a high velocity will create a partial vacuum at saidterminus thus providing a suction Within said passage suilicient tomaintain the suction operated circuit opening device in an operativeopen position regardless of the variation of the suction Within saidvacuum chamber during the operation of the ma chine.

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JQHN WYNN, JR.

